Gallardo bests Big Unit, Brewers down Giants

Apr 9, 2009 - 6:22 AM
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Yovani Gallardo instinctively hacked at
the high fastball, not thinking much about the pitching great
who had thrown it, and his three-run homer dropped sharply
beyond the fence in the left-field corner.

Although Gallardo has been alive only slightly longer than Randy
Johnson has been a major league pitcher, the Milwaukee Brewers'
promising right-hander started off his season with an
achievement even more remarkable than his solid effort on the
mound.

He's the first pitcher ever to homer off the Big Unit.

Gallardo pitched neatly into the seventh inning while spoiling
Johnson's debut with the San Francisco Giants, leading the
Brewers to a 4-2 victory Wednesday night.

Gallardo (1-0) insists he'll remember his first victory in
nearly 19 months much longer than the historic hit that made it
possible. The 23-year-old gave up six hits and struck out six
while muzzling a Giants team that scored 10 runs on opening day.

He was thrilled to see his impressive spring reflected in his
first real game since early last season, when the second of two
serious knee injuries in 2008 sidelined him for the rest of
Milwaukee's playoff-bound campaign.

"There were a lot of things going into it, with my first start
of the year after I wasn't able to start off with the team last
year," Gallardo said. "There was a little bit of anxiousness
there. The win, that's obviously the most important for me."

Everybody else will remember the homer. He smacked a two-out,
two-strike pitch over the fence in the fifth, providing himself
with all the run support he needed.

"Growing up and watching him pitch, he's a great pitcher,"
Gallardo said of Johnson, the 45-year-old left-hander. "Not very
many people get the opportunity to do that. Rounding the bases,
I was pretty excited."

After Bill Hall doubled with two outs in the fifth, Johnson
walked Jason Kendall to face Gallardo. Although the Brewers
understood the move, the dugout pulsed with excitement about
Gallardo, known around the spring training cages as an
above-average hitter.

"Nobody said anything, but we all kind of knew," said Milwaukee
reliever Carlos Villanueva, Gallardo's close friend. "It's not
as easy to get him out as you might think. ... That was a bomb.
It's not surprising from him. You expect him to hit, but not an
absolute bomb."

Although the Brewers lost top starters CC Sabathia and Ben
Sheets following last fall's run to their first playoff berth in
a quarter-century, Milwaukee might not miss them as much as many
expect if Gallardo keeps living up to the considerable promise
he showed in 2007 and again this spring.

Gallardo overshadowed the formal Bay Area homecoming for Johnson
(0-1), who opened his 22nd major league season with seven
strikeouts -- giving him 4,796 in his career -- in five
often-dominant innings. Johnson allowed just four hits, but two
were homers by Mike Cameron and Gallardo.

"I felt bad, because that took the sail out of the fans, I
think," said Johnson, who got raucous ovations before the game
and after most of his innings. "(Gallardo) pitched a good
ballgame and got the big hit, too. That one at-bat, it gets lost
how good I felt. But it's all a wash. I can't go out and pitch
any better."

Randy Winn stole two bases for San Francisco and hit an RBI
single in the seventh when Gallardo tired with two outs, leaving
with two runners on base. Reliever Todd Coffey got Bengie Molina
to dribble a harmless grounder with the bases loaded.

Villanueva pitched the ninth for his first save, filling in
while presumptive closer Trevor Hoffman starts the season on the
disabled list.

Johnson, who grew up in the East Bay suburb of Livermore,
California, admittedly signed with the Giants to chase the final
five wins necessary to join the 300-victory club, but also to
provide veteran leadership to San Francisco's staff.

In his first inning with San Francisco, Johnson came within one
pitch of striking out the side. He fanned Rickie Weeks and Corey
Hart -- with a changeup -- and had two strikes on Ryan Braun
before a harmless fly to center.

He retired Milwaukee's first five hitters, also striking out
Prince Fielder, but Cameron then homered to left. Cameron
entered the game 2-for-29 with 18 strikeouts in his career
against Johnson.

"He threw great, (but) one pitch was the difference in the
game," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He had good stuff. It
was just one pitch that he didn't get away with. That kid can
swing a bat. We know it."

Before the game, the Giants formally presented the 2008 NL Cy
Young award to Tim Lincecum. Mike McCormick, the only other San
Francisco Giants pitcher to win the award, spoke to the crowd
before Lincecum made a brief speech.

"Lastly and always, I just want to thank my dad," said Lincecum,
who only made it through a career-low three innings while
getting no decision in Tuesday's opener.

Notes: Johnson is the oldest pitcher to start a game for the
Giants, surpassing Warren Spahn, who was 44 in 1965. He's their
oldest player since 49-year-old Arlie Latham played four games
for the New York Giants in 1909. ... Recently released Giants OF
Dave Roberts was in the park in his new role as a member of the
media, working on broadcasts in the Bay Area and San Diego. ...
Gallardo made his major league debut against the Giants on June
18, 2007. He hit his first two career homers in August 2007 near
the close of his solid rookie season.

NLAT SAN FRANCISCO - SCORING UPDATETHREE-RUN HOME RUN BY YOVANI GALLARDO (1) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT IN THE 5TH OFF RANDY JOHNSON SCORED BILL HALL AND JASON KENDALL.CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 4, SAN FRANCISCO 1DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: R WEEKS (.400, 0-FOR-2)

NLAT SAN FRANCISCO - SCORING UPDATESOLO HOME RUN BY MIKE CAMERON (1) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT IN THE 2ND OFF RANDY JOHNSON.CURRENT SCORE: MILWAUKEE 1, SAN FRANCISCO 0DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: B HALL (.250, 0 HR, 1 RBI)